Board approves transitional rent agreement with Partnership Health Plan, directs 30‑day tribal consultation
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Summary
The Lake County Board approved a transitional rent provider agreement with Partnership Health Plan effective Jan. 1, 2026, and directed Behavioral Health to consult with federally recognized tribes within 30 days and report back within 90 days to develop tribal coordination and data‑sovereignty amendments.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors voted on Feb. 24 to approve a transitional rent provider agreement with Partnership Health Plan of California that enables the county to provide transitional rent services under the Medi‑Cal Community Supports Benefit, effective Jan. 1, 2026. The board authorized the Behavioral Health director to sign the agreement and allowed future non‑substantive amendments to implement the program.
Before the final vote, tribal leaders and tribal‑serving organizations urged the board to ensure tribal participation, protect tribal data sovereignty, and allow tribal organizations to be designated providers or subcontractors. Elise Jones, Lake County Behavioral Health Director, acknowledged those concerns and said staff would pursue technical fixes such as anonymous entry and a walled garden partition in the Homeless Management Information System to protect tribal data.
Multiple tribal representatives — including Kyle Bill (Konokotai Native Wellness), Ernesto Padilla (Lake County Tribal Health), Katie Ray (Indigenous Futures Foundation) and Flamey McCloud (Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians) — urged formal consultation and culturally appropriate continuity of care. Kyle Bill said the county should include contractual language to engage tribes, and Ernesto Padilla stressed that government‑to‑government consultation had not occurred and was necessary.
The board approved two linked motions: first, to authorize the agreement and permit the behavioral health director to sign and execute implementation amendments; second, to direct staff to consult formally with Lake County tribes about tribal participation and to develop proposed amendments. The board set a 30‑day target to open consultation and asked for a report back within 90 days. Supervisors also instructed staff to work with Partnership Health Plan as the other signatory to develop any agreed amendments.
Board and tribal speakers said the approach aims to allow eligible people to receive rent‑support services without delay while building protections and pathways for tribes and tribal providers to participate. The board carried both motions unanimously.
